Patna, June 16: A station house officer (SHO) was sent to jail on Saturday while another sub-inspector is absconding in a case of death in police custody.

Both the officers have been named in the FIR claiming torture in police lock-up leading to death of 55-year-old Mohammed Salman Khan.

Police have launched a hunt for Dhirendra Kumar, sub-inspector at the Maner police station, 20km from Patna, who allegedly beat up Salman in lock-up. All nine cops at Maner police station, including four SI-rank officers, two ASI-rank officials and three constables, were suspended from duty last night after Salman died at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). SHO Rasbihari Paswan (SI rank), another accused, was arrested last night itself.

Since the FIR claims illegal detention of the deceased, the investigation is being carried out by a judicial magistrate. DIG (Central Range) Sunil Kumar said: “According to the National Human Rights Commission parameters, the probe of custodial deaths should either be conducted by an executive magistrate or a judicial magistrate. In this case, the same is being done by a judicial magistrate. The parameters also state that the post-mortem be done by a team of three doctors. All these norms are being followed and the post-mortem report is awaited.”

Salman, a resident of Banahi area Bhojpur district, was into the business of renting cars. He was on his way to the state capital on Monday (June 11) night in his Maruti car when the police detained him. He died at PMCH at 9.30pm on Friday. His body bore several injury marks.